Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

Long before I moved up here in the shadow of Mt Rainier, I visited several times. I was living in San Diego at the time, and when I was home from my first PNW foray, a co-worker asked me what was the best memory of my trip. I told him, with no hesitation, that Mt Rainier was the most majestic, awe inspiring, can’t-get-enough-of-it experience I had. Mt Rainier is over 15, 000 ft, and dominates the skyline when it is “out”…Lenticulars are quite common. The “base” of Mt Rainier is 7 square miles, and for context, that’s the footprint of San Francisco. Its so massive, it creates its own local weather.
Given our common cloud cover and also common rain, The Mountain is not always visible, and when it comes out, its almost a reference pt, in time.
When locals have visitors, it is a common emotion to hope The Mountain is out while they are visiting.
It quite grand, and if you are ever in the region, the Park is well developed for visiting, with great trails of many levels…AND, one needn’t get anywhere near Seattle! Big Plus!
Also, remember that Mt St Helens is a beautiful day trip away from Rainier, and it has marvelous tours and edu opportunities also…w/o getting to close to the still fragile ecology of a volcano which has been active in the last several decades…not too common in USA.

A major commercial timber farming company is clear cutting 1,000’s of acres on our Southern and Western property lines. Our tree hugging citidiot associates (and some family) act as if they’re personally being raped, pillaged and burned at the stake, are aghast that we absolutely love it.

First time in over 30 years we’ve had sunshine on the property and this afternoon I caught a glimpse of *the* Mountain. By the time they’re finished with this job we’ll have an exquisitely framed picture perfect Southern facing view of Mt. Rainier though the 2nd floor big picture window.

Sounds like Wilburine’s tariff action against Canadian softwoods is having the desired effect–at least up your way. I’ve got a bunch of pine on some family property that’s just waiting for the right price point and the right timber company (not clear cutting on this property–it needs to keep more coverage to prevent erosion). Still NO BRAKES on the MAGA train!

zephyr, am so looking forward to this yr.
New allies, new re-alignment, more freedom for more people, continued dismantling of globalists, continued shining of light into dark places, squirming and anguish among the libtards, anticipation in the morning of Trump’s wake-up Tweet…what’s not to look forward to?
We are so fortunate to have Trump at our helm, so fortunate that God has given us another chance…or at least a reprieve.
May we do well with the gifts.

God our Father, Thou guidest everything in wisdom and love. Accept the prayers we offer for our nation; by the wisdom of our leaders and integrity of our citizens, may harmony and justice be secured and may there be lasting prosperity and peace.

And once again Chick-Fil-A steps up. An outlet in CO opened its door to First Responders at the domestic gone bad where one deputy was killed, several wounded, and some civilians wounded as well, serving some 400 meals on Sunday . [ HT K. Rodriguez @ Breitbart ]

And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for:
“God opposes the proud but bestows favor on the humble.”

So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.
Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.
Be sober and vigilant.

Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings.

The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ [Jesus] will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little.

I may be late to this party, but, my wife and I saw Darkest Hour tonight. Anyone who sees this movie and doesn’t see the parallels between what Churchill was dealing with and what President Trump is dealing with isn’t paying attention. In my view. Very good movie and worth the two hours of your time.

This photo really moved me.
I am thrilled (and relieved) beyond words knowing all our emergency personnel KNOW they have someone who cares tremendously about them and has their back 24/7/365.
Not a minute too soon I’ll tell ya for sure.
God bless them all and keep them safe.
~~~

Dan Scavino Jr.‏Verified account
Today, President @realDonaldTrump visited the @WPBFire Station #2, where he met with firefighters, paramedics and first responders, thanking them for the important work that they do 24/7/365!
27 Dec 2017

Frede, please be safe. We here in the States are appalled…..there is nothing I can say but………we need to eliminate any scintilla of the beginning of what you guys are doing over there; before it takes hold here. It is very frustrating to even comprehend what is happening in Europe and that it is by design. They are attempting to conquer Europe, with the assistance of Europe’s leaders!!!?!!!!!

Such a mystery as to the motivations of these unidentified, and uncriticized, berserkers. Who could they possibly be? How could there be such a spontaneous countrywide epidemic of violence and destruction. It’s almost as if they were acting on instructions from a madman.

Not only does the article not tell us who they were, nor suggest a motive, they displayed no curiosity whatsoever about what might be data vital to the proper ordering of their society to prevent such atrocities.

Some many moons ago an SR-71 on a mission blew an engine and had to make an emergency landing at a base just south of New Orleans. It landed and crews tarped it and dragged it into a hanger for security…
We treated the pilot to local hospitality and we got an invite to watch his takeoff. He got his clearance to taxi and rolled out to the far end of the runway…you could hear the turbojets scream as he ran them up, then he released the brakes, rocketed down the runway and nosed up. We thought he was gone but the control tower said to hang around, he was gonna say ‘thanks’. A few minutes later he made a screaming low level pass down the runway and nosed up damn near vertical, roaring out of sight.
Yeah, we make some neat toys.

Secularists like to advise Christians that, for the sake of social harmony, they ought to keep their religion to themselves. Religion, they argue, is a private affair between an individual and his designated deity, and ought not to be dragged into the public square. Moreover, they helpfully add, it’s an imposition on others to confront them with beliefs that they may find offensive.

1 Peter 3:13-17New King James Version (NKJV)
Suffering for Right and Wrong
13 And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.”[a] 15 But sanctify the Lord God[b] in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. 17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

This may sound like a pipe dream, but consider that a 2012 Pew Research report claimed that, “The share of the population that is Christian in sub-Saharan Africa climbed from 9% in 1910 to 63% in 2010.” And much of this growth occurred in the midst of Muslim-majority populations.

The same thing is happening throughout the Muslim world, confirming an article on the National Catholic Register which claims that, “Muslims Are Converting to Christianity in Record Numbers.” This too has been an open secret for many years now.

When it comes to Iran, the article repeats the claim that there are now three million Iranian Christians, which would mean a massive jump from the numbers posted in the respected prayer guide, Operation World. It claimed a total of 384,897 Christians from all backgrounds in Iran (compared to 74,054,491 Muslims), with just 117,678 listed as evangelicals. Getting from here to three million is extraordinary.

For nearly 200 years, the Jackson Magnolia on the South Lawn has witnessed countless events for 39 presidents. While its demise is disheartening, seeds from the Jackson Magnolia will be used to plant a tree on the White House Grounds — ensuring that its history will live on. pic.twitter.com/eR3Plbwwtz

I love Judy Garland.
If you’re reading this it means you’re living and breathing and that means it’s a good day and you should be smiling. So have a happy day, and oh by the way, Donald Trump is President of the USA! 🙂

Wow…. this is hard. I appreciate all of you. I’ve been here a long time, praying when asked, and sharing the joys of all of your lives. Thank you so much. I’ve typed twenty versions of this post, deleted them all because I just don’t know what to say. wow…. I’m sorry to have taken your time.
I hate not being able to speak and communicate like “normal” people. Asperger’s syndrome sucks. Please try to understand anyone you may know with this affliction. It really screws with your mind. It hurts. May God bless you all.

DCBids….fix what…….feeling like an “idiot?” NO, you’re not one, no problem there.

Then…. what’s wrong with your comment? Nothing. What is a “normal person?” I don’t think I know any of those. We all have our little piccadilos. So. At least once a year on the blog I post a disclaimer regarding myself…..to ignore all typos and grammatical errors.Sometimes my mind works faster than my fingers. Do I care. No. If anybody else cares…..tough excrement!

If you have Aspergers – so what. A lot of people do. Don’t let it stop you, and quit reading
your previous comments if they bother you!!!!!!! {snicker} {Now, shall we solve the problem of World Peace next? ha!}

What you wrote is great. Relax, take a breath (breathe a prayer) & just share what’s on your mind & heart. There are plenty of imperfect people here willing to “get” you. Be blessed & thank you for sharing!

I’m the mom of one with autism & 3 w/ADHD & am used to complex & confusing (to me sometimes) communications…but would always rather hear from others than have them stifle themselves.

God bless you too, DCBids! Hope you have a good day. I think I know little about how you’re feeling….it seems like it’s ALWAYS hard for me to figure out the “right” thing to say. Just now I typed out that last sentence a bunch of different ways….and I didn’t really like any of them. I dunno. Guess I’m not “normal” either. But it’s cool. Anyways, don’t hesitate to say what’s on your mind. I’m happy to listen. 🙂

My friend, let me tell you what you need……CAN CAN MUSIC. (Scroll up thread^^^)

But seriously, keep your spirits up. A lot of people seem kind of down and depressed and picky and snarky right now. I think it might be the weather getting to everybody. Don’t know where you live but most of us are freezing right now. Everybody’s on edge. But not me! This is my favorite time of year. Snowmen and sledding and I think I might go ICE FISHING sometime soon. Oh yeah! I used to live in Vermont a few years back and went ice fishing with some buddies a few times. I think the nuclear power plant (Vermont Yankee power plant) was nearby and my buddies said, “I don’t think we ought to eat anything if we catch anything cause it might be radioactive or something” But we caught some fish and I wanted to eat them so I did! Ha! Maybe that’s why I’m a little weird. Anyways, how’s that for a long-winded ramble that has nothing to do with anything? Have a happy day, DCBids!

thanks… you have absolutely cheered me up! As I pondered in another thread here earlier, EVERYONE lives a unique life, no two people see the world from the same place, period. …..and as long as you didn’t “glow in the dark” after eating the fish, I guess you’re okay. (at least in MY book, you’re the tops!) see? I told ya I’m nuts!

Funny…. I used to be a mod on a DIY site for many years, and helped thousands of members (yes, THOUSANDS) fix/build all phases of construction. Plumbing, done. Electric, done. HVAC, done. How can I be so spot on helping others, but I cannot fix my own life??? Can I cry now? No? Well….okay. I understand.

I must admit though, in the 8 odd years I was a mod, I only got ONE PM (private message) (from a member in Australia) who thanked me whole-heartedly for finally answering his question as to what NAILS to use to attach his flooring to pass code! (he passed with flying colors, btw) He was the only person who PM’d me to thank me in all those years…..but you know what?…..it was worth the eight years for his PM. 🙂

I’ve been looking at a lot of woodscrews lately, like decking type screws. I’m not building a deck, it’s just for general purpose projects around the garage and stuff. Anyway, I always try to buy made in the USA products when I can, so I was looking for made in the USA screws and came across this brand called SPAX. Do you know anything about them? I went on their website and requested a free sample of screws and they sent me this nice little package. They spent almost $5 just to ship the sample. They look like really nice screws. I’d like to get a decent sized quantity but none of the stores around here have them so I’d have to order off the internet. Do you have any particular screws you like?

I believe in giving credit where credit is due. SPAX makes an excellent job-specific product. (No, I didn’t make a dime promoting them… lol) They may cost a wee bit more than MiC drywall screws, but IMHO they would be well worth the extra few pennies. I actually worked in a shop in CA. (yeah, yeah, I know…believe me, we do NOT live there any more!!!!!) standing in front of a machine, loading blank screws into a groove that simply cut the flathead slot into the screws, then dropping the screw into a 55gal. barrel! wheeeeeee!!!!! ….however, the steel we used was FAR superior to the MiC junk and we NEVER had returns!! If you buy American made ANYthing, it’s more than likely to be better than imported. (sorry import countries, you just need to improve your quality)
Thank GOD we did not allow 4 more years of H*ll(ery)!!!! (oh crap….Seth Rich’s murderer just knocked on my front door!!!!! HELP!)

I know what you mean about the American made quality! A while back I was working on a push lawnmower engine. I’m not much of a small engine mechanic by any stretch of the imagination. I was trying to get these tiny little bolts out. I thought they were 1/4 inch. A size bigger than 1/4 was way too big. A size smaller was too small to fit on there. The 1/4 inch fit but it was just going round and round, rounding off the corners of the bolt head. I’m thinking, “It’s a Briggs and Stratton engine. B & S is American. Surely they wouldn’t be using metric bolts??? Especially on an engine this old??” I tried a couple metric sockets and they didn’t really fit. I was using an el-cheapo socket set the kind that’s a 40 piece set for about 5 bucks. Finally I thought to try different sockets. Got out an old Stanley made in USA set (yes, it was pretty old….when was the last time Stanley made sockets in the USA?) And that made in USA 1/4 socket fit perfectly, even with the corners all rounded off on the bolt! You can’t tell it by eye but the tolerances are tighter on the American sockets.

On another occasion, a worried believer came to see Tindley, pouring out all his troubles and complaints. The pastor offered this counsel, based on I Pet. 5:7, “Put all your troubles in a sack, take ‘em to the Lord, and leave ‘em there!” Out of that conversation grew the hymn Leave It There. In succeeding stanzas, he lists several kinds of difficulty we can commit to the Lord in prayer: financial distress, illness and pain, hurts caused by others, and the problems of old age.

Lyrics:

If the world from you withhold of its silver and its gold,
An you have to get along with meagre fare,
Just remember, in His Word, how He feeds the little bird;
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

Leave it there, leave it there,
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.
If you trust and never doubt,
He will surely bring you out.
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

Hint:
Once you leave the sack with the Lord,
Do NOT pick it back up and carry it around withcha

Hey, DCBids, I’m praying for you, pal. Do you want to go into any details of your situation? If not, that’s understandable. I just thought it might help to “vent” a little, if you want. If I knew some details I could offer you some advice. I’m terrible at giving advice but you could just take whatever I say and do the opposite 😉

Thank You for that. I wish there was a private place I could talk with some of the members here, you really are some special people! However…. my life is in turmoil and very confusing, and I’m afraid I don’t have the $$$ for professional help! lol “Venting” in public seems icky to me, but sometimes. it’s all we have?

I understand, not wanting to vent in public. If you change your mind about that though just make sure you don’t give out any identifying info (names, etc.) so that anyone on the interwebs can read it. As long as you don’t give out any names you’re pretty anonymous right here.

If you want a more private place talk, I can offer you this:https://www.veteranscrisisline.net
Don’t know if you’re a veteran or not, but they’d probably talk to you anyway, or give you a number for “civilians”. They man the phones 24 hours a day and I think you can chat online with them too. It’s a “crisis hotline”. I’m a vet and I’ve called the number before, several times. Sometimes they can be helpful. The first time I ever called I was worried they would trace my call location and send the cops to my door or something. I wasn’t suicidal but just wanted someone to talk to. They didn’t send the cops, they don’t do that unless you really need it. Don’t know if you’d be interested in anything like this or not. Sorry, like I said, I stink at giving advice.

Praying for you. Keep your chin up, my friend. For what it’s worth, I’ll try to stick around and monitor this thread for a while and keep you company if you want to talk about what’s on your mind or nails or woodscrews or anything. Or if you want me to butt out so you can talk to Big Mama Tea or auscitizenmom or whoever else is around I can do that too. Whatever you’re going through right now you’ll get through it. 🙂

Thanks, I do appreciate the thought, although I am not suicidal, I just have a lot of crap that piled up on us all at once. It’s rather overwhelming, and I’m just trying to vent a wee bit to make my family’s lives easier and less stressful? Wow…. how’d you figure out I was a Vet? Is this a common thing with us? uhoh…… lol
But you’re absolutely correct, this too shall pass. All better now, can we see some cat memes now? I know it’s not CATurday, but…..what the heck, right?

Hey, DCBids, you’ve really brightened my day. I’m sitting here laughing and thinking, “I can’t believe this guy has heard of SPAX screws!” I’ve mentioned them to all my buddies, most of whom are pretty handy fix-it type guys (or at least they think they are) and none of them know about those screws. You really impressed me and cracked me up with that!

Oh, btw, did I mention this is the first website and thread I come to every morning? Thanks SD.
…..and all of you contributors, of course! Believe it or not, you’ve all helped us through some pretty rough times, not even knowing it. God Bless!

The #MeToo witch hunt is out of control. The Hillary voting feminazis on a gossip blog I just read are mad at Dave Chapelle for claiming the Louis CK accuser who claimed she didn’t follow her comedy dream because he masturbated over the PHONE while talking to her was weak. He called her “brittle” to be exact, and said that was pretty weak to let your dream die instead of just hanging up the phone.
–The feminazis think this strong, powerful, brave woman was too weak to hang up or presumably too stupid to just pretend she was getting another call or that she needed to go answer a doorbell.
–They’re saying there shouldn’t be “hierarchies of victimization.”
–DO YOU BELIEVE THAT? Literally they want everything to equal rape.
–I thought people were exaggerating when they said that’s what these harpees believe, but I just saw it with my own eyes.
–Let’s be clear about what the average Hillary voter really believes.
1) A man telling a woman she has pretty eyes or touching himself during a phone call with her is exactly the same thing as hardcore sodomizing her against her will.
2) Somehow when Bill Clinton did the real raping, that didn’t count because he was reliable on aborting babies.
–I’m so against the #MeToo witch hunt. It’s going to do nothing to stop actual rapists. They’ll do nothing to stop all these dangerous pedophiles. They’re so weak on real crime and anti-woman philosophies like Islam that I just see this as weirdo power-tripping for angry, mentally ill women. They’ll say nothing about all the Middle Eastern and African countries where old, rich men hoard all the young women so young men are left without wives. They’ll just destroy some comedians and actors and other unimportant individuals.
–Sure it’s hilarious that most of their victims are stupid, Leftist men dumb enough to think they were allies. But a witch hunt is a witch hunt.

“They’re so weak on real crime and anti-woman philosophies like Islam that I just see this as weirdo power-tripping for angry, mentally ill women. They’ll say nothing about all the Middle Eastern and African countries where old, rich men hoard all the young women so young men are left without wives.”

8 or so years modding a DIY site gives you quite a bit of knowledge…. whether you want it or not….lol
Now let’s talk about capacitors… no wait, I mean those little nails with the 10 on the heads… no wait, I mean the….ummmm never mind…. just don’t get me started on pex!

I suppose it’s simply a question of “what do you do in your shop?” I built work benches all around my shop, but they’re all made with 2X (whatever) pine. For detail work, your top is ideal (and inexpensive too!). The projects I do would likely tear up the hardboard.

The frame of the bench is all 2x lumber and then I’ve got some 3/4″ plywood on top. The hardboard is on top of the plywood. My thinking was that the hardboard could be a sacrifical top that I replace every so often once it gets dinged up. I do all kinds of weird stuff but my main hobby is gunsmithing. What kind of work do you do on your benches?

I make boxes you cannot open. For your work, the hardboard would seem to me to be your ideal surface. Cheap enough to replace once it’s served it’s purpose. I think I still have a few 4×8 sheets out in the shed….. interested? lol

DCBids, I’ve got to head out now. I’ve really enjoyed talking with you. Hope you’re feeling a little more upbeat. Just think of the Can Can Cats! I’ll be praying for you. If you feel like it maybe pop into the open thread tomorrow and let everybody know how you’re doing. See ya!

Don’t shoot – hold your fire. I’ll just hang on to a lower branch and keep trying to edumoncate myself. I’m all for MAGA but sometimes don’t understand what’s happening in the universe that’s beyond my control. Its sometimes called SCD – Seasoned Citizen’s Deficiency. I learn something new everyday. My problem is remembering it the following day……………..

No problem. We all learn daily. They know what causes that now, it’s called “life”. Please excuse my rantings if you’re not a soros troll…. I’ve had a really bad day. But it’s finally getting better thanks to a few of the good people here.

Our Heavenly Father, Your children come to you tonight to ask for healing and peace throughout our country so that we may return to being One Nation Under God. Guide us to be leaders in Your Kingdom, spreading Your Love and Salvation to all. Forgive us our sins and deliver us from evil.

Lord, we ask for a blanket of protection over all our troops and law enforcement who serve to defend and protect us. Bless our representatives with the strength and wisdom they need to achieve the path You have chosen for us.

Please place Your Guardian Angels of Protection around Donald Trump and Mike Pence and their families as they seek to lead America back to You.

Grant us patience, Lord, as the evil ones try to anger us and cause us to fall.
Spread blessings over Israel and Netanyahu.

We humbly ask that You please comfort those who are grieving and in pain.
Thank you Father, for Your Love and the gift of Life.

UN SecGen made his New Years speech, more of the usual: down with nationalism and democracy, up with centralized one world UN governance, death to Israel (in the footnotes) and all of that good stuff despots hide behind when they’re trying to steal your garbage and inseminate your dog.
There are many things I can put up with, the Obama administration proved that, but rule by countries where the majority of the population still pokes around with sticks under rocks for brunch ain’t on that list. Over the decades I’ve been asked to stomach the dumbing down of schools to meets the educational needs of the perpetually uneducated, part with more and more money to fund the perpetually nonproductive, and generally bleed for the perpetually bloodless. On the national level it’s just barely stomachable but on the international level, especially when managed by professional kleptocrats…that’s the breaking point…molon labe m***** f******.